Christmas is Nigh

Over the years, I've looked forward to a number of things at Christmas.  As a kid, it was Santa and presents.  As I got older, it became fun to give presents in addition to receiving them.  Christmas became more special once my wife was a part of my life, and even better now that we have our little son.

Last year, my wife and I had some quite time together on Christmas Eve.  I hope it becomes an annual tradition!  I had returned from singing in a small choir for our parish's midnight Mass at 9 p.m.  The church had a warmth to it that night, with the soft lights.  The choir with the exception of me, had incredibly talented musicians and singers.  It was a joy to sing "Silent Night" and "What Child Is This," listening to the harmony of the quartet's combined voices.  After I'd returned home and changed, my wife and I opened presents.  We settled in on the couch, wrapped in a blanket, listening to Christmas music.  No lights were on save those on the tree.  A soft glow permeated the room, the kind you see and feel at the same time.  Even with the music, quiet peacefully reigned in our house.

One of the great feasts of our faith... celebrating it in the liturgy... with the peace of Christ enveloping our home.  It was wonderful, and God be praised!  We do not have a sterile faith, nor one that's exclusively concerned with the intellect.  In contemplating the mystery of the Incarnation, God gives us multiple ways to connect with it.  We have the Mass, the love of our friends & family, and Christmas carols that sing the glories of God.  On top of that, we have all the manifestations of human creativity.  Have you ever stopped to think about human ingenuity, and how incredible it is?  It's one of God's greatest gifts to the human race.  The celebration of Christmas includes baking, cheesy movies on Lifetime & the Hallmark channel, ornaments, Christmas lights, and much, much more.

As we enjoy the beauty of the Christmas season, let's not forget to give thanks and praise to God, the source of all that is good about the season.

And, I'd like to share the "Midnight on Christmas Eve" playlist:

1. The King's Singer: Stille Nacht (really amazing choir)
2. Judy Garland: Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas (classic)
3. Gardiner Sisters: What Child Is This? (three sisters singing in harmony, in a great arrangement)
4. Celine Dion: O Holy Night (you need a powerful voice to sing this song and she nails it)
5. Nat King Cole: The First Noel (he makes singing sound easy & effortless)
6. Natalie Cole: The Holy & the Ivy (a lesser known Christmas carol but a really nice one)
7. The Daughters of St. Paul: Ave Maria (standard!)
8. Celtic Woman: The Christmas Song (some wonderful voices in Celtic Woman)
9. The Piano Guys: O Come, O Come, Emmanuel (instrumental, a piano and cello.  Really good!)
10. Choir of King's College, Cambridge: Coventry Carol (another amazing choir)
11. Benedictines of Mary, Queen of Apostles: O Come Divine Messiah (a hymn, sung beautifully.  From their Advent at Ephesus album)
12. Martina McBride: Away in a Manger (my favorite country singer)